Boxing: One more Riot set in Monterey

Promoter Jerry Hoffman said this week that he'll stage one more version of The Riot this coming July at the Monterey Conference Center, then he'll take a long look at the future of the popular, twice-a-year professional boxing show that has served as a launching pad for many of the sport's well-known fighters.

All of Hoffman's shows in Monterey (and previously Santa Cruz) have been sell-outs or nearly sold to capacity since 1992, introducing Central California boxing fans to future world champions like "Sugar" Shane Mosley, Stevie Johnson, James Page, Nonito Donaire, Carina Moreno, Robert "The Ghost" Guerreroand Gina "Boom Boom" Guidi, and others who made a splash, such as Jose Celaya, Jesus "Chuy" Rodriguez, Alejandro Perez, Eloy Perez, Jesus Vega and Danny Lujan Jr.

Unfortunately, a few sponsors have dropped out and costs have skyrocketed — The Riot now has a six-digit production budget — while Hoffman continues to offer affordable tickets. But the numbers no longer add up.

"We'll give The Riot another shot in July, but additional sponsors and VIPs are the only way to keep the show going," he said this week. "Raising ticket prices is not the answer, Businesses who know the value of our event, and people who enjoy being at ringside, are encouraged to give me a shout.

"No denying people embrace The Riot, but at what cost to the promoter and matchmaker," said Hoffman, who wears both of the aforementioned hats at his own shows. "The nut to produce the show has cracked the six-figure mark. Think about it: With our 1,250capacity at an average of $50 per ticket, there is a huge shortfall. Only sponsors and VIPs can help make up the difference, and I can't go through three months of preparation for free."

Additionally, small-show promoters like Hoffman are repeatedly butting heads with the California State Athletic Commission, which has become one of the most heavy-handed in the industry. Hoffman has been a vocal critic of the commission and its chief executive, Armando Garcia, for repeatedly making 11th-hour decisions — rulings that could have been made days, and sometimes weeks earlier, Hoffman says — to cancel long-planned fights.

The commission made two such decisions just before his November show.

First, the commission refused to allow Salinas boxer Jose Celaya to face James Buggs an opponent who had given him a very competitive fight in 2004. Garcia judged that pairing to be a mismatch — a judgment that, according to Hoffman, could have been made at least a week earlier — instead approving Juan Manuel Montes de Oca, another journeyman, to fight Celaya.

"I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why the fight was not approved," Hoffman said. "It negatively impacted my efforts, cost much more money, caused great confusion and put me in a compromising position."

Montes de Oca lost a forgettable eight-round decision to Celaya. Buggs immediately accepted (and was approved for) a fight in Iowa, where he went eight very competitive roundswith Ronald Hearns (son of Thomas "The Hit Man" Hearns), who is now 16-0.

The second decision at The November event involved Salinas super bantamweight Jesus Vega, who had been training almost two months to end a four-year layoff, during which he had successfully battled testicular cancer. That feel-good story got an unhappy ending on the day of the weigh-in,though, when Garcia deferred to the judgment of a Southern California physician who had never met Vega, let alone examined him, but nonetheless overruled three of Vega's own specialists, each of whom had unconditionally approved him to resume his boxing career.

Such rulings have become so common at Hoffman's shows that he actually anticipated the commission's interference last November, flying in another boxer, purely as a safety net, just in case Vega (or his opponent) was yanked from the show. His foresight paid off — the backup fighter literally stepped into Vega's spot on the day of the weigh-in — but Hoffman is still waiting — and will wait forever — for somebody to reimburse him for the extra airfare, hotel and food.

Hoffman says he's hoping to have constructive meetings with the California State Athletic Commission in early January, and would like to hear from any local businessmen who might be interested in becoming sponsors for any future shows in Monterey. He can be reached at 831-688-1604. More information, and Hoffman's blog, may be found on his website, www.12sportsonline.com.

Cover girl Carina|

Watsonville's Carina Moreno, the WBC's world strawweight champion, is featured on the cover of the current edition of Primer Round Magazine. Moreno (16-1, 5 KOs) is scheduled to defend her crown Feb. 23 at Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore against Chantel Cordova (7-0-1, 3 KOs).

'Chuy' world-ranked|

Salinas junior welterweight "Chuy" Rodriguez (17-2, 5 KOs) will be ranked No. 11 in the world in the next set of ratings published by the World Boxing Organization. Rodriguez is expecting to be matched against a big-name opponent for his first bout of 2008, probably sometime in February.

He signed a contract just before Christmas to face unbeaten Timothy Bradley (21-0, ranked No. 1 by the WBC), but that bout was cancelled by the Showtime television network after the WBC ordered Bradley to fight second-ranked Jose Luis Castillo instead. Kathy Garcia, who manages Rodriguez's career for Salinas-based Garcia Boxing, said she's currently investigating the possibility of getting Rodriguez a title fight against WBO champion Ricardo Torres (32-1, 28 KOs) of Colombia.

Celaya vs. Chavez Jr.|

Jose Celaya (31-3, 16 KOs) has asked Sam Garcia, of Garcia Boxing, who work his corner Feb. 9 when he fights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (34-0-1, 27 KOs) in a 10-round bout The 22-year-old Garcia says he expects to leave with Celaya to train at Shane Mosley's gym in Big Bear Lake on Jan. 4.

"My job, I think, will be a little bit about strategy, and a lot about getting Jose mentally ready to fight Chavez," said Garcia, son of Max Garcia, who trains all boxers in the Garcia Boxing stable. "I think it's going to be important for him to have a familiar person in his corner — somebody from the days when he was a great fighter. Beyond that, I'm not sure what's expected, but I plan to go with the flow and put my two cents-worth in, whether anybody likes it or not. I'll be there to do what's best for the fighter."

Big Daddy's coming back|

Former world heavyweight champion Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe flew to Maryland to spend the Christmas holidays with his family, but will return toSalinas shortly after the new year to resume training for a comeback. The two-time king, now 40 years old, lost 30 pounds in less than two weeks while training with Garcia Boxing, and says he managed to maintain that weight (currently 290 pounds) during his absence from training camp. He hopes to weigh 245-250 when he returns to the ring, possibly in February.

The Ringside boxing show|

Former WBA world welterweight champion Luis Collazzo will be among this week's guest on The Ringside Boxing Show, which airs every Sunday, 9-10 a.m., on KNRY 1240-AM, and worldwide via the Internet at www.knry.com. The show is co-hosted by Dave Marzetti and Herald boxing columnist Dennis Taylor. Listeners are encouraged to join the conversation by calling 373-1234 or 1-800-887-3414.